Following England's humiliating defeat to India at Edgbaston, Geoffrey Boycott has given a harsh assessment of the Test team, focusing on opener Zak Crawley and seasoned seamer Chris Woakes. The former England opener vented his rage in The Daily Telegraph at Crawley's repeated failures and questioned Woakes' continued inclusion in the squad.

Boycott was especially harsh in his evaluation of Crawley, claiming that the 26-year-old is unable to change.

“I don’t think he can change or get better,” Boycott wrote. “Batting is in the head and the brain dictates how you approach batting: what shots you attempt, what balls you leave. His errors in technique and reasoning are ingrained. Perhaps Zak doesn't want to change, or maybe a leopard can't alter its spots. He should be nearing the peak of his career, but he hasn't learned anything in 56 games. A batting average of 31, one outstanding innings, and a lot of failures are insufficient.

Boycott was perplexed by Crawley's regression in Birmingham a week after Crawley had exhibited some indications of improvement during the first Test at Headingley, despite the fact that the seasoned player did acknowledge the strong performance.

"At Headingley, he played straight with the full face of the bat, left wide balls and let the ball come to him so he could keep his bat close to his pad."

"His two shots to Edgbaston were dreadful," Boycott said. "In the first innings, his feet were rooted in cement, neither forward nor back, and then he wafted at the ball to be caught at slip." In the second inning, he swung at a well-pitched ball two feet outside the off stump. He didn't have to play it.

Woakes boycott

Boycott was also harsh on Woakes, urging England to replace the 36-year-old. "It is counterproductive to keep the same guys in the team when they are past their sell-by date or not doing enough," he said.

"Consider Chris Woakes. As a seamer ages, his speed naturally decreases. His record is dismal in foreign countries, where he has never taken a wicket. His batting has occasionally served as a safety valve when others have faltered, and he is proficient—or has been proficient—at English pitches. His task should not be to bolster poor hitting. The job of a batsman is to score runs, while the job of a bowler is to get wickets.

With India scoring a massive 336-run victory in the second Test at Edgbaston, the series is now tied at 1-1. The game resumes on Thursday with a matchup between the two teams at the famous Lord's.

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